DJariya

By djariya at 2011-04-01

Synopsis:



Episode 10 of 10

Promo:

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xCirti0kwdU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Finale is tonight. No news on a renewal yet. If it does get renewed, I assume it wouldn't premiere until Spring 2012 at the soonest following Spartacus season 2.

Josh-da-man

Fairly solid episode.

Not too surprising that Leontes bit it, that's been coming for quite a while now.

Good to see Arthur showing some balls and kicking some ass.

I wasn't expecting the switcheroo at the end there... ick! I'm assuming she's going to pregnant with Mordred.

If this does come back for a second season, they will hopefully be able to dissect the first season to see what works and what doesn't and make a stronger overall season. I'd really like to see an interesting take on the Green Knight.

Bill Needle

I thought this went from bad to comically bad. Even set aside the general cheapness of the feel of the series, especially compared to the vastly superior Game of Thrones which has a smaller budget. The writing/story telling was terrible. So many things were nonsensical I don't even know where to begin. For instance the ridiculous sequences at the battle in general, especially the King deciding to stay and fight the attackers alone while his sworn protectors hang out for no other particular reason than that they can make a timely and triumphant return. Then a far reaching plot to murder the King and usurp the crown is uncovered, and the blatantly lying 'sole conspirator' is taken to the middle of nowhere by a single unprotected individual to be executed? Then Merlin shows up at the last instant to tell someone who counsels the use of the black arts and committing mass murder for personal gain that 'There is no God'? Arthur then lets the one he knows for a fact orchestrated the entire thing, caused indirectly the deaths of both of his step parents, and personally murdered both of his real parents, to walk free? And so on.

Gunde

^ Yep, every episode was like that. I definitely won't be watching season 2

brainee

While this episode entertained me (and the time went by fast), there were problems. We all knew Leontes was more doomed than an Enterprise red shirt guy on an away mission with Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Sulu. Igraine's murder was surprising - though it seemed a bit drastic to have Morgan just stab her and kill her just like that. And with those two deaths, the show loses the two most likable characters (by far). Unless they deviate from Arthurian legend, where's the suspense going to come from if there are more seasons? Maybe introduce Arthur's long-lost cousin Fred?

And I can't argue with any of Bill Needle's points. Just so much stupidity, seemingly just to get the plot to the place the writers wanted to end up at. Going back to last week, Merlin and Igraine's mission to arrest Morgan made no sense. I gave it a pass, thinking maybe Merlin had a deeper scheme in mind since he couldn't have been so stupid as to think Morgan would go along with it. But I guess he was that stupid, and he only has himself to blame for getting Igraine killed (oh goody - a set-up for more angst). And what kind of King volunteers for a suicide mission, when the sole purpose of the enemy is to kill him? Well, I suppose a King as stupid as Arthur.

I did think the twist at the end was nicely done. At first, I was rolling my eyes at how cheesy the sex scene between Arthur and Guinevere was (and how quickly they went from mourning Leontes to being all over each other). But having it really be Morgan was nice - though that still makes Arthur a gigantic asshole for jumping her bones at the first opportunity (which, come to think of it, has been his character all season).

I'm not sure if I'll bother with a future season - maybe I'd have to hear some positive word of mouth first. How has this show been doing ratings-wise?

DJariya

Episode 9 got 1.003M viewers. The shows ratings have been quite similar to Spartacus.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...viewing/94864/

MikahC

No accounting for taste.

creekdipper

Can't really add anything to Bill Needle's and brainee's excellent points. Sounds as if most everyone is thinking the same things about the weak writing with telegraphed plots (or stupidly contrived set-ups that make no sense other than to justify a fight scene). Having Arthur suddenly go Rambo & turn into a ninja assassin with all of the booby traps was a bit much...although a well-placed stew pot to the head would have stopped most of the dolts who were attacking him. I can only give Arthur and his men 1/3 credit for the victory since it took about 3 of the attacking rabble to equal an average warrior.

The only surprise was that Leontes didn't take the arrow (wow, didn't see that coming ) an episode earlier.

As far as Morgan's deception at the end, I actually thought that the writers were going to add another variation by abandoning the Arthur/Mordred connection and by having Merlin be Mordred's father as a result of Morgan's earlier trickery (the girl sure uses her shape-shifting ability to get a lot of action). Alas, not so.

Actually, my reaction to the entire season (and the finale) has become so "meh" that discussing the show in any detail hardly seems worth it anymore. If this gets canceled, it'll be hard to work up much feeling of loss although hope always springs eternal for an improved second season.

dan30oly

I haven't watched any of this series, but saved up all these episodes.

For those who watched season 1, should I even bother? I could use the room on the hard drive.

DJariya

If you didn't bother watching it week to week, then you probably weren't that interested in the 1st place. Ask yourself if you really want to watch this? It's only 10 hours, but if your majorly backed up on other things and only recorded this for shits and giggles, then just move on.

I haven't seen the finale yet. I'm 2 behind and had to dowload episodes 9 and 10 off Starz on Demand. I will catch up tomorrow.

For the record, I liked the series despite it's imperfections and Jamie Campbell Bower. I would probably give it between a B- and C+ mainly because of Eva Green as the villainess and some of the supporting cast.

brainee

One of the most realistic aspects of the series. I don't know about the rest of you, but if I could shape-shift that's exactly what I'd use my powers for too!

Looking at your sig, you clearly march to the beat of your own drummer You might as well watch the first episode or so and judge for yourself. Though if you find it doesn't grab you, I think you can trust the group here that the series doesn't improve.

MikahC

Not for a second would I use that power in that way. I can't think of anything more soul defeating than being with someone who isn't with you because of you. Anyway...

That scene was icky to me. It was basically a half-brother and sister having sex, and a child no less. I know of Arthur, Camelot, Knights, etc. but I'm not versed in the story. I was hoping to get to see it here, but it's not overly entertaining for me.

And why in a story with a magician do we see more magic from someone who isn't? Morgan can control hers, but Merlin can't? Got it. *sigh*

Gunde

Are you a girl?

Bill Needle

Kind of like the line by (I forget which comic) who said that if the holodeck was ever actually invented it would be the last accomplishment of mankind...for basically the same reason.

Gunde

Fuck no

brainee

Well, that's certainly a part of the original story. For a superior telling of the story, I'd recommend John Boorman's "Excalibur". Though be warned ... like "Camelot", this isn't for people just looking for a fun medieval adventure. And if you're a reader, T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" is a classic.

In almost all versions of the story, Morgan is portrayed as a sorceress whose power is on a level with Merlin's - kind of like his evil counterpart. And unlike Merlin, she's willing to go to any depths to perform her magic (like the Black Arts). Unlike Morgan, Merlin actually cares about the consequences when powerful magic goes awry - so he's more reticent to perform it.

mwbmis

Finished this up today. I know Jamie Campbell Bower has taken a beating in this forum, but by the end I had actually kind of accepted him as Arthur.

My main problems were Fiennes being so dull as Merlin (just like he was dull in Fast Forward and in everything he's made since his breakout year!), and, surprisely, at least to me, Eva Green who delivered a hammy, ineffective performance most of the year.

I also don't think it helped that this show airs at the same time as Game of Thrones. Still, there were moments that I kind of liked it.

creekdipper

In reverse order:

(3) Totally agree that the scheduling worked against Camelot by making it suffer in comparison to GoT. These simultaneous airings of similarly-themed shows nearly always result in one's coming out looking weaker...I think Wyatt Earp vs. Tombstone; The River (and Country) vs. Places in the Heart (from bad to mediocre to excellent); etc. Not saying that Camelot would have been better, but it didn't help to go against a superior fantasy series.
I'm of the opinion that the creators of Camelot just set the bar too low, trying to merely best recent syndicated fantasy series made on limited budgets. I wonder if they wouldn't have tried to raise their game (no pun intended) if they had seen GoT first.

(2) Agree about Fiennes. He just seems to be slumming most of the time in the series. Understand your point about Eva Green, but it seems to me that she's just trying to bring some energy to a lethargic series. I do think that she's more effective when she's just giving her withering, smoldering looks. The scene in the finale when she yells at Arthur as he leaves her chamber was pretty histrionic. However, I thought she did an excellent job otherwise & that her character stood out among a pretty dull cast.

(1) Campbell Bowers did seem a little better, but I think that was more the result of the writers trying to give his character a boost and downplaying the rest of his merry men. He still looks like a constipated chipmunk, though, and still don't buy his blustery attempts at leadership.

BTW...the cheesy round table tribute to Leontes (the overhead shot with swords touching and the shouted "To Leontes") was straight out of any B movie. The direction and editing of this series is uninspired at best.

mwbmis

Believe me, it almost pains me to say that I didn't like Eva Green in this. I've been wanting her to get bigger parts in films for years, and I've never understood why she hasn't. It's just that I thought her scenes and her performance always felt like a broadly campy show different than the rest of the series.

I ended up liking the Tamsin Egerton/Jamie Campbell Bower scenes more than anything that Eva was in. I never would have figured that when the show started.

northmoor

I thought the show was okay. It definitely wasn't great, but it kept my interest enough to watch from week to week.

It's somewhat interesting why people keep watching a show after a couple eps or more when they don't like it. If I don't care for a show, I stop watching it, and I don't click on threads and keep posting for the entire season how bad each episode was each week. It doesn't bother me in the least. But, it's just interesting why some keep watching and posting the same things over and over each week when they don't care for the show.

I thought the show was okay. It kept me watching each week, which is a lot more than a lot of other shows do for me.

dan30oly

When possible I like to wait until I have the entire season of a show recorded before I watch, then just burn thru them in a week. For example, I just started watching S2 of Justified a couple of days ago and won't start Game of Thrones until the season is over either.

barelypure

I'm going to have to call foul. I can almost guarantee that any of you mofos with a swinging member would have turned back the covers if something looking like Guinevere showed up at your bedroom door looking for a little action regardless of who had died. For that matter, except that she's his sister, you would have welcomed Morgan as well.

As to books, I'd recommend Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger. It's close to the legend and is an easy read, tho long.

And, yeah going up against GoT and The Borgias wasn't the best timing. I'm guessing they thought since Merlin on SyFy had ended their season it wouldn't matter. But, then Merlin, while no where near the legend, is probably better than this.

creekdipper

That's a fair question and, as one of the people so mentioned, I'll give a shot at an answer that may make sense.

Actually, there are several reasons why people may keep watching. Here are a few:

(1) There aren't a whole lot of action series (or even dramas) that fall outside of the cop/doctor/lawyer genres. And there sure isn't a glut of fantasy/heroic sagas. With tv now dominated by reality shows, it isn't as if adventure fans have too many choices.

(2) There's always a chance that the show might improve once it gets its legs.

(3) Even mediocre series have their bright spots. It all comes down to how much less-than-stellar effort one is willing to accept in order to get to the good stuff. I thought Eva Green, Tamson Edgerton, & Phillip Winchester were outstanding.

(4) Like other threads in this & other forums, sometimes it's amusing to discuss things even when (or especially when) the opinions are primarily negative. Horrible sports teams, politicians, musicians, writers, etc. all get a lot of attention. The critical comments toward Camelot may be partially a 'human nature' response in which people like to kick others when they're down. On the other hand, they may be an honest attempt to analyze something that the critic feels could (or should) have been better.

(5) IMHO, sometimes the critics feel a bit betrayed by something they really wanted to like. In the case of Camelot (speaking for myself), I feel that there were so many missed opportunities & like reading other posters' comments to see if they have similar reactions. When a show cost $70 million to produce (and one is subscribing to the service, thereby partially paying for the show), the viewer has certain expectations that, when not met, can be pretty disappointing.

(6) Regarding coming back week after week, I think that demonstrates that most of the critical posters are willing to give the show a chance to correct weaknesses. In fact, many of the critical posts contain suggestions for improving the show...and the fact that so many viewers seem to agree on quite a few of these ideas suggests that the show is not beyond the possibility of redemption.
For example, I was not a big fan of ST: TNG during its first two seasons. After giving it a chance repeatedly, I only tuned in sporadically to look for improvement. It wasn't until the third season when many of the same ideas discussed by critics were finally implemented that the show took off and rose from mediocrity to become an outstanding program that shook off the ghosts of its predecessor. I became a big fan of the series then & recommended it as heartily as I had once derided it.


In short, I think that the critics would truly like to see Camelot live up to its promise and are more than willing to give it props when it does succeed. Some critics might hate it regardless of any changes, but I get the idea that most critical posters would like to see the producers turn out something that strives to be more than just another fairly entertaining show that holds the interest from week to week. Forgive me for saying so, but your opinion of the show didn't really sound like a ringing endorsement of the series. I think of it like The Vampire Diaries or Nikita...shows that have some good points but some glaring, frustrating weaknesses that hold the show back.

Anyway, hope that gives a little insight into why critics continue to watch the show, IMHO. The critical comments probably come more from disappointment than hate.

creekdipper

Thomas Berger's the man!! Author of Little Big Man, too.

Regarding Morgan, remember that she's just his half-sister. To a little horndog like Arthur, that's practically like a total stranger.

Besides, to paraphrase Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong with it."

RichC2

What did they spend $7m an episode on with this series?